Shades of Red
by Zellie Kinneas
Summary: Written in Zell's point of view and takes place after the game. Zell develops feelings for Irvine, but has trouble conveying them, which results in him acting very strangely. To make things worse, Seifer's back at Garden of course.
1. Secret Love

Author's Notes: 

This is my first fic here at That is to say, I've attempted writing other fics before, but never ever completed them. This one I really do want to finish, though I'm working on it rather slowly... I figured if I put it up here, that'll motivate me to continue it! Thanks for reading!  
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII or any of it's characters!

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Shades of Red  
Chapter One - Secret Love

"What's wrong, Zell? You seem a bit under the weather lately," Selphie chirped as she plopped down on a seat next to me in the Balamb Garden cafeteria. Funny she should mention the weather; it perfectly reflected my gloomy mood that day.

"Everything's fine, Selphie," I replied and gave her a weak smile, hoping she would go away. I mean, I was kind of glad that somebody was showing concern for my well-being, but the fact that it was Selphie really churned my stomach.

"Zell, I know something is wrong. You didn't even touch your hot dog!"

I thought, You're what's wrong! Just leave me alone! I wish I could say that to her, but she's such a nice person, and I'm not a jerk like Seifer. So I just made up some bullcrap story to make her go away.

"That's because I'm savoring it," I explained. "You can't take hot dogs for granted. You have to appreciate them. Now, take time to bask in the hot dog's glory!"

I closed my eyes as if in meditation. Fortunately Selphie got up and left while shaking her head and mumbling. Whatever she said, I only caught the word "weirdo." Selphie's a nice girl and all, but I've got my problems with her. It's nothing she purposely does. I mean, how could she know that what she does causes annoyance to others, especially me of all people? I could tell her, of course, but I'd rather keep these things to myself. It's a touchy matter, and I don't need word getting around to Seifer. It would just be more fodder for him.

Speaking of Seifer, he's back, of course, and arrogant as ever. Seriously, some people never change. Never mind the fact that I'm a SeeD now, and he's still just a Cadet. He doesn't care about that. Plus, what am I gonna do about it? I'm not an instructor; I can't set penalties.

Now instructors... Don't get me started on them. There's been a lack of missions for SeeDs now that we defeated Ultimecia and everything's peaceful in the world. Desperate instructors use this to their advantage; they grab the nearest SeeDs they can find to help them with their classes, and it seems I'm always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I screwed around a lot when I was a Cadet, so what makes them think I have the ability to teach?

All this post-time compression stress has gotten to me, I guess. Nothing's really changed around here, but my feelings have. I've never been able to hide my feelings very well, and I've always acted happy because I've always felt happy. Now everybody knows that something's up, since I haven't been acting like my usual self. If I had better control of my emotions, I could eliminate several problems.

Just as I finished eating my hot dog, one of those problems walked through the cafeteria doors. I tried to throw out my trash and scurry away unnoticed, but I failed.

"Hey, Zell! I been lookin' fer ya," an all too familiar voice called out to me.

I froze in my tracks, slowly turned around and replied, "Oh! Hi, Irvine. I didn't see you there." I tried my hardest not too look at his eyes, or any other part of him for that matter. Except his shoes. Shoes were okay for looking at.

The sharpshooter approached me with that ridiculous smile he's always got on his face. He tipped his black cowboy hat and winked at me before throwing his arm around my shoulders and giving me a friendly squeeze with it.

"I'm glad I caught ya here. Selphie told me she'd seen ya here," he explained cheerfully. "What have you been up to? I hardly see ya anymore!"

"Well, uh, you know. I've been busy. Doing SeeD-ly duties and such," I stammered. SeeD-ly? What the heck kind of word was that?

"Well, I hope ya got the day off today. I was hopin' you'd come with me to--"

I didn't give him time to finish. It didn't matter what he was about to ask me to do. I just wouldn't go with him. I couldn't go with him, so I said before he could finish, "Actually, Irvine, I'm sorry I have to decline, but I'm actually pretty busy today." His arm was still around my shoulders. I really wanted him to go away before something horrible could happen.

"Aw, Zell, when'd you become such a worker?" Irvine jested and punched me lightly on the arm. This act caused him to release me. Thank Hyne for that. "I guess you get an even bigger workload when you become a SeeD, huh?"

"Yep! Lots of SeeD duties!" That was a lie. "Enjoy your days as a Cadet while you can! But, ah, I've actually got someplace I've got to be..." Another lie. "...so if you'll just excuse me..."

I turned and dashed out of the cafeteria, not bothering to take a look over my shoulder at Irvine. If I were to turn around, he probably would have had a very disappointed look on his face. I would be the cause of his disappointment. I had disappointed Irvine. That look would have shattered me. Or what if he was angry? I would have angered Irvine! I wouldn't have been able to take that either, I don't think. Either way, I ran all the way back to my dorm.

As soon as I entered my room, I flopped face down onto my bed and let out a large groan. I wish I could have stayed with Irvine. If I could, I would be with him every day, never declining any invitations. Yet again, the fact that I cannot hide my emotions becomes a problem. Irvine himself was never a problem. Oh, no. In fact, Irvine is a blessing. A blessing that I was unable to enjoy because I could not hide my emotions. Oh, Hyne, to think that anyone would know about my feelings makes me sick to my stomach. What would people think? Worst of all, Seifer would never stop making fun of me for this, and Irvine would be scared away forever.

This was my problem with Selphie that I couldn't tell her. She's constantly all over Irvine, and it makes me jealous. It pains me to see Irvine "together" with people who aren't me. Irvine isn't dating Selphie, but it definitely seems that she's trying to make that happen, and it's only a matter of time before she succeeds. The worst part of it all was that there's nothing I could do about it.

Just as I was about to fall asleep on my bed, I heard a knock at the door. Without thinking, I immediately crossed my room to open it, only to be greeted by that gorgeous smile attached to the angelic face of the six-foot-tall sharpshooter who went by the name Irvine Kinneas. Before I could say anything, he invited himself into my room and plopped down on my bed.

"If this is the kinda work ya get as a SeeD, I think I'm rather lookin' forward to it," Irvine chuckled.

Chuckling weakly, averting my eyes to anything in the plain room that might distract me. There was absolutely nothing I could say, so I just stood there staring very intently at my shoes. Finally, Irvine was the one to break the silence.

"I highly doubt you can tie your shoes with your mind, so just give up," he said, smiling at me.

"Oh, right. Er, sorry," I stammered. "Is there anything you need?"

"Not really," he replied as he propped his right foot over his left knee. "Just wanted to hang out."

"Ah, I see. That's cool." Trying to act casual was failing miserably.

"Ya know, Zell, you've been actin' real different lately," Irvine pointed out, "especially around me." My stomach felt  
like it was doing flips. "It's not hard to tell. Ya know you really suck at hiding your emotions." Oh Hyne, does he know! "I like you, Zell, and I'd like to hang out with ya, but ya really have been makin' an effort to avoid me. I hope I didn't do anything to offend you."

"No! Not at all," I quickly replied and gave him the vaguest explanation possible. "I've just had some problems lately."

This was meant to make him go away, but I've not been very good at making people leave me alone lately. On the contrary, this caused him to get up and move towards me and actually touch me.

Irvine put his arm around my shoulders and said, "Hey, man, whatever's goin' on with you, that's you're business. I just want you to know that we've been through a hell of a lot together, and I do consider you a friend. If you ever need anything, ya know you can always come to me."

His words meant so much to me, even if he did only see me as a friend. I tried real hard not to gaze into his gorgeous violet eyes, so I fixed my attention on the pendant he wore around his neck. However, Irvine reached forward and gently lifted my chin. I had no choice but to look him in the eyes.

"Irvine..." I sighed.

I could have told him everything right then and there, I was so captivated. Thankfully, I managed to hear the voice of reason telling me to keep my mouth shut. Now I just felt real awkward and worried that my eyes had revealed everything to Irvine. I quickly turned away from him, looking for a place to escape, but the smallness of my dorm made that impossible. Fortunately, Irvine turned to leave.

"Well, I'm glad there ain't any problems between us," Irvine cheerfully declared. "That's all I came here for! I'll be seein' ya around!" He waved at me as he exited my room.

As I once again flopped down onto my bed, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I was ecstatic to hear that he actually liked me. Though, it made me feel like a pre-teen girly girl. My euphoria quickly died when I realized that I still could not hang out with him. My true feelings would probably come out in less than a day, and Irvine would be scared away forever.


	2. That's Just Grat

Author's Note:

I don't plan to make a habit bothering readers with my little comments up here... But I just wanted to let you know that I do know how to spell the word "great," and that's not what I was trying to spell in the chapter title. Okie! Enjoy!  
Statement so I don't get sued or anything: FFVIII and it's characters do not belong to moi!

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Shades of Red  
Chapter Two - That's Just Grat

The next morning, the sun was shining and I had a spring in my step. I guess you could say I was my usual self. As usual, I had nothing to do, so I decided to spend my time in the training center. It had been a while since I seriously kicked Grat ass. Do Grats even have asses? Anyways, the point is I had energy to spare, so why not unleash it in the training center?

I'm not really sure why I was so energetic that morning. Perhaps it was the fact that Irvine actually came to my dorm to personally tell me that he likes me, even if it is only the way you like friends. It really gave me hope. Maybe I could make Irvine like me more! Yeah, right. Irvine Kinneas, constantly in female company, having more-than-friendly feelings towards a guy was less likely to happen than the second coming of Hyne.

Whistling to the catchy tune "Eyes on Me," I briskly strided down the hall towards the training center. I was in such a good mood, I didn't think anything could go wrong. However, when I almost got to the training center, who should step in front of my path but the infamous Balamb Garden Disciplinary Committee? It was obvious they had just finished training; all three were covered in sweat and they carried their weapons.

"Well, well, if it isn't Dinky Dinchty," Seifer smirked.

I didn't want this to spoil my mood, so I gave him the death glare and tried to walk around the group. Unfortunately, Seifer extended his arm and held Hyperion in front of me to block my way.

"Where do you think you're going, chickenwuss?" Seifer smirked. "You don't even say 'Hi' to us?"

"Get out of my way, Seifer!" I growled. "I don't need to be wasting my time on you."

"Hey, show Seifer some respect, ya know?" Raijin demanded.

"PUNISHMENT," Fujin tersely stated in her low, icy voice. She always sent shivers down my spine whenever she spoke.

"I suggest you three get out of my way right now, unless you'd rather face the consequences," I said with the most threatening look on my face as I could manage.

"What are you going to do, Dincht?" Seifer laughed. "You couldn't take us; it's three to one. Even so, how do you think it would look for a SeeD to beat up on Cadets?"

Pressing the flat of Hyperion's blade to my chest, Seifer forced me to back away. I found myself in a hopeless situation. There really was no way I could defeat all three of them by myself if it did come to a fight. Just when I felt I would have to submit myself to whatever humiliation Seifer had planned, I was rescued!

"I believe you were instructed to move." Exeter in hand, Irvine stepped up to Seifer. "He's a SeeD. As a subordinate, I reckon you should respect his wishes."

"Oh yeah, girly boy? You gonna make me?" Seifer removed Hyperion from my chest and held it in a ready stance. "Bring it, cowboy. It's two against three. The odds are still against you."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Irvine smirked. "Remember, now, the two of us helped defeat Sorceress Ultemecia. Not to mention, you got your ugly ass kicked around more than once."

"Ah, you would know all about asses, wouldn't you, Kinneas?" Seifer retorted. "You want me to move? Make me."

What did Seifer mean, Irvine would know? I didn't have any time to look into it far enough; my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Irvine's shotgun being cocked, quickly followed by a large BOOM as Irvine shot straight at the ceiling. Bits of plaster flaked off and landed directly on Seifer's head. His face turned a deep red, and veins became visible on his forehead.

"Uh, Seifer, maybe we should leave, ya know?" Raijin suggested. "We're lucky Garden took us back, and we shouldn't push our luck, ya know?"

"Whatever," Seifer grumbled, sounding a lot like Squall. "I'll let you off easy this time. Don't think it'll happen again."

As the three morons stalked away, I could hear a small group of Cadets quietly giggling at Seifer's plaster-covered head and shoulders. I was deeply grateful for Irvine's interferance. With a huge smile on my face, I turned to face Irvine. I was about to thank him, but he spoke before I could say anything.

"No need to thank me. I know those guys're always givin' ya trouble," Irvine said while smiling warmly. "It seems like they've got dirt on everyone, doesn't it? It's tough standin' up to them, but someone needs to do it. So, where're you headin' to this bright, shiny mornin'?"

"Just the training center," I replied, acting much more casually than I had last night.

"Me too," Irvine stated, brandishing Exeter. "So, ya wanna partner up with me?"

Of course I did! This would be the perfect way to spend time with Irvine. I could hang out with him yet not have to worry about being obvious with my feelings. Trying not to sound too eager, I agreed with Irvine's request and walked with him to the training center.

There was hardly anybody at the training center; the only other people were a small group of Cadets who were careful not to stray too far from the exit. Looking for a challenge, Irvine and I wandered towards the back of the "jungle" where the tougher monsters usually showed up. It wasn't really a long walk, but it seemed to take forever. I didn't dare say anything to Irvine, because I knew I wouldn't be able to contain myself, and I'd end up looking like a fool. So, I just stared at the path ahead, silently walking side-by-side with Irvine. Finally, Irvine broke the awkward silence.

"Those monsters sure are hiding real good today," Irvine commented.

"Real well," I corrected.

"What?"

"The monsters are hiding well," I explained. "You need an adverb; "good" is an adjective."

"You little know-it-all!" Irvine chuckled as he lightly punched me in the arm.

What the heck was that? He finally broke the silence and I corrected his grammar. No, I couldn't even continue the conversation like a normal person. Of course, the awkward silence came back, but what could I say to Irvine? I tried to find something to say, but Irvine thankfully spoke again.

"Hey, Zell, why is it you act all different around me?" Irvine pondered.

"I... I do?" I stammered.

"Yeah, you're usually all talkative an' stuff, but the second I come around, you freeze all up like a chocobo in the headlights," he pointed out.

Oh Hyne, what do I do, what do I do! What should I say!

"You know what I think?" Irvine smiled arrogantly. "I think you--"

I didn't let him finish. I couldn't. This was a very, very bad topic, and it could go no further. I cut him off and screamed, "HEY! Check out that Grat! Let's get it!" I ran as fast as I could down the path. I didn't really see a Grat, but I couldn't think of an easy way to put an end to that conversation. Irvine chased after me and quickly caught up because of his long legs.

"Where is it! I don't see anything!" he gasped between breaths.

"You missed it!" I lied. "It got away."

Irvine opened his mouth to say something, but he was smacked on the back with a vine before he could say anything. He stumbled and would have fallen over if I hadn't caught him, but now was no time to enjoy holding Irvine; there was a monster to fight! Irvine quickly spun around to face the Grat that assaulted him. While Irvine backed away to make it easier for him to shoot, I closed the distance between me and the Grat and instantly began assaulting it with punches. Irvine shot at the Grat, careful not to hit me as I leaped around its body in attempt to tangle its vines.

The two of us were doing great! I even succeeded in tangling its limbs, which allowed me to take a breather while Irvine went all-out with Shot. However, we really underestimated this Grat. While it was tangled up, it released its sleeping powder. I quickly did a backflip to get away, and I was lucky enough to have avoided the effect of the sleeping powder. On the other hand, Irvine wasn't as lucky. He was dead asleep in the dirt, cuddling Exeter with a stupid grin on his face. He looked so cute!

I didn't have much time to admire him, however, since the Grat had untangled itself and began advancing on Irvine's unconscious body. I ran towards the Grat and hit it with a jump side kick, which sent it flying back several feet. The Grat used it's arm-like vines to stabilize itself before attempting another assault at Irvine. Although I had a clear disadvantage (I have two arms and Grats have four), I fought my hardest to protect Irvine. Finally, the Grat became annoyed with my persistance; it wrapped a vine around my ankle, pulled my foot from beneath me, and effortlessly tossed me aside.

"Irvine!" I called, hoping to wake him up, but it did no good.

The Grat prepared to thwack Irvine with one of the thick leaves that rested at the end of each vine. I tried to get up to continue fighting the Grat, but it turned out the Grat sprained my ankle; I couldn't walk on it at all. I had to protect Irvine, but there was no way I could hobble to his side in time. I could feel the rage burning inside me; it felt as if I were on fire. Just as the Grat was about to hit Irvine, I pounded my fist as hard as I could into the ground, sending quakes in the ground towards the Grat. The Burning Rave hit it at full force, knocking it over. The Grat lay there, unconscious; I had defeated it!

Full of relief, I crawled to Irvine's side, hoping I would be able to wake him up by myself. I mentally cursed at myself for always forgetting to bring items to the training center while lightly shaking Irvine, hoping he would wake up. Little did I know at the time, Irvine was a heavy sleeper. I became tired with my failed attempts to politely wake Irivne, so I finally resorted to screaming his name while slapping him on the cheek a few times.

"Whhhaaaaaaaattt?" Irvine finally grumbled.

"You were asleep!" I explained. "Nothing I did could wake you up."

"Ya couldn't just use an awakening?" he whined as he stood up, brushing dirt off his jacket.

"I, um, didn't bring any items," I replied with a sheepish grin.

Irvine rolled his eyes at me before saying, "Well, don't just sit there! Let's go!"

"About that, Irvine," I softly chuckled, "I can't walk."

"What!"

"Yeah! It was hard work fighting that Grat all by myself while you took your little beauty nap!" I exclaimed. "Can't you just cast cure or something?"

"Zell, we've traveled together for a long time, right?"

"Right."

"Have you ever known me as the type to use magic?"

"Nope," I replied, waiting for Irvine to say something before realizing what he meant by this. "Oh! No cures, huh? Well how about a potion or something?"

Irvine didn't reply; he merely chuckled.

"What's so funny!" I demanded.

"I forgot to bring items too."

Great. Neither of us had any means of healing, which meant I would have to go to the infirmary to be healed by Dr. Kadowaki, but I certainly could not walk there; it was on the other side of Garden! That would mean Irvine would have to carry me. I chewed my lip nervously, waiting for Irvine to suggest a way to get me there. I was afraid that if I said anything, I might seem to eager to be carried by him. Actually, I became a bit worried as to what Irvine had in mind; his mouth spread into that mischievous grin of his.

"Well, it looks like I'm gonna have to carry you, Zell," Irvine grinned.

A look of shock spread across my face. Irvine probably thought it was me being afraid of being carried, but I was actually surprised that he instantly offered to carry me. Also, it may have been my imagination, but Irvine seemed as eager to carry me as I was to be carried by him. Still, I didn't say anything, even as he bent to lift me into his arms.

"No objections?" he taunted. "Don't look so eager, Zell, someone might think you're into me."

"What! I'm not eager to be carried by you!" I protested. "I just don't see any other way to get to the infirmary."

"Relax, I'm just kidding!" Irvine giggled as he pulled me to my feet, giving me support as I balanced my weight on one foot. "I'll give ya a piggy-back ride so it'll look more manly."

I gave Irvine a weak smile as he turned around and crouched down so I would be able to climb onto his back. Dirty thoughts filled my head, mostly having to do with riding Irvine's backside. I quickly shook myself out of it. Oh, Hyne, that would just be horrible if I got a boner while getting a piggy-back ride from Irvine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and tightly hugged his shoulders. This was the perfect opportunity to be close to Irvine without it being weird. As Irvine began walking me towards the infirmary, I lazily rested my chin on his shoulder.

"Pick up the pace, will ya?" I playfully whined.

"Geez, 'your majesty,' you're lucky I don't just drop you right now," Irvine teased.

Being this close to Irvine, I could easily smell the musky cologne he always wore, plus the scent of gunpowder always lingered on Irvine; I guess that comes with being a sharpshooter. His hair also smelled magnificent - like some sort of flower. I never really noticed what his hair smelled like, since I was never really close to his head before this. After some time, I was yanked out of my reverie by the sound of Irvine's voice.

"You doin' okay back there?" Irvine asked. "You're awful quiet."

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," I quickly replied. "Just spaced out for a bit."

I told myself I really need to be more careful. Honestly, I was shocked that Irvine wasn't getting suspicous already, but how could I act naturally? If I were to talk my head off like usual, I'd slip. If I stay silent, something seems wrong. Irvine already could tell something wasn't normal, but he hopefully couldn't decide what it was.

"Alright, we're here," Irvine announced as he helped me into a chair. "While you're here, you might want Dr. Kadowaki to check your head too."

"What's that supposed to mean!" I replied.

"Somethin's up, Zell. I can tell," Irvine explained. "I ain't no psychologist, but there's definitely something wrong  
with the way you been actin' lately. I'm worried 'bout ya, man."

Yay! Irvine was showing concern for me! I did the best I could to hide the giggliness I felt inside. "I told you before, Irvy, everything's alright."

He gave me a questioning look. "'Irvy'?"

Shit.

Thankfully, this conversation was unable to continue; Dr. Kadowaki stepped into the room and interrupted our little chat.

"Oh, dear. What is it this time, Zell?" she asked.

"Sprained my ankle fighting a Grat," I replied.

"Ah, the great Zell Dincht, one of the few who took on Sorceress Ultimecia, is defeated by a Grat," Dr. Kadowaki teased.

After poking at my ankle several times, Dr. Kadowaki finally decided to put an ankle brace on my foot. I could walk back to my dorm with Irvine's assistance, but I had to stay off that foot for a week before coming back to see Dr. Kadowaki.

"But how am I gonna perform necessary functions, like taking a shower or going to the cafeteria to eat hot dogs!" I wondered.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Irvine smiled. "I got ya covered."

I tried my hardest to keep a huge smile from spreading across my face. One full week of doing nothing with Irvine as my personal servant... Man, I really should have remembered to thank that Grat.


	3. Nostalgia and Hot Dogs

Obligatory disclaimer, whoo! I don't own Final Fantasy or any characters and stuff. Yup. ENJOY THE STORY!

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Shades of Red  
Chapter Three - Nostalgia and Hot Dogs

The first thing I heard next morning was Irvine's voice jolting me awake. Irvine first thing in the morning was not as pleasant as I'd expected.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" he chirped in a sing-song voice. Irvine was wearing his usual chaps with the purple vest, but his coat was off for the time being, resting on the backs of one of the chairs in my room. It really is a shame that he wore the coat so often. The muscles in his arms are beautifully toned, and all he does is hide that with his large, bulky coat.

"What the hell, Irvine!" I grumbled as he threw open the curtains, letting bright rays of sunshine fill the room. "It's 6:30 AM!"

"Yeah, I've got class startin' in a half hour," he explained. "If you, like, need me to do anything, you best ask me now or else you'll be waitin' all day for my classes to end."

I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest, wrapping my blanket around myself. Wearing only boxers, I was not expecting Irvine to come to my room so early. I mentally cursed myself for giving Irvine the key to my dorm. Honestly, I don't really know why I was being so self-conscious around Irvine. We were both guys, and guys are allowed to have their shirts off. It's nothing he's never seen. Of course, morning wood was a problem, and Irvine's presence was not helping.

"So, is there anything you'd like me to take care of?" he offered while smiling the sweetest smile I'd ever seen.

It may have been just my imagination, especially since I was just thinking about my erection, but it seemed to me that Irvine had a pretty suggestive tone in his voice. I merely shrugged it off as wishful thinking and replied, "Just start the shower for me."

"No, siree! What're you gonna do in there? Stand on one foot like a flamingo the whole time?" Irvine protested. "No showers for you. I'll start filling the bath.

Before I could say a thing in response, Irvine left me and entered the private bathroom available in every SeeD's dorm. I used my time alone to quickly grab a pair of pants I had lying around. Careful not to bend my injured foot in a funny angle, I put on my baggy shorts as quickly as I could. I silently thanked Hyne for the luck that I had picked up something baggy; it would hide my morning erection pretty well.

Just as I began to pull myself out of bed, Irvine returned.

"Hey, hey! Keep your weight off that foot!" he commanded as he rushed to my side. "Let me help you to the bath."

Irvine put his arm around me as a support and led me to the bathroom. Of course, I could have moved more quickly, but I purposely moved slowly just so I could spend more time with Irvine's arm around me. It was a wonderful feeling, and I could use my bad foot as an excellent excuse for taking so long. He had such soft skin! Irvine was rather slim, yet I could tell that he had beautifully toned muscles.

We reached the bathroom after what I thought was much too short a time. I could blame that on the fact that these SeeD dorms were not very large, and it only takes a few paces to get from one end of the room to the other. Irvine released his grip on me as we reached the bathtub. I turned to face him, neither of us saying anything. I waited a moment for him to leave; of course, I couldn't get undressed with Irvine standing right there, but he just stood there, looking kind of spaced out.

"Um, Irvine? I need to, uh..."

"Oh! Right, right," he stumbled. "Sorry 'bout that, yeah. I, um, I'll be right on the other side of the door if you'll be needin' anything."

As he left the room, I shut the bathroom door and locked it. I removed my shorts and boxers, wondering why Irvine hesitated before leaving. Maybe he's attracted to me, I thought. Ha, yeah right. That would be the day. I dipped my foot in the tub, testing the water. Not expecting it to be so hot, I briefly recoiled before slowly putting my entire foot into the tub.

I finally got settled in the water and relaxed as I quickly took care of my inevitable arousal. The smell of something wonderful being cooked seeped into the bathroom through the cracks in the door, causing my mouth to water. Quickly, I finished washing up, eager to see what it was Irvine was cooking. Barely drying myself with a towel, I pulled on my shorts and drained the tub. As I left the bathroom, I brought my towel with me to dry off my hair as I entered my room.

"Mmm, smells like you're frying bacon," I commented.

"Yep! I'm cooking them with-- Zell!" Irvine suddenly exclaimed as he rushed to my side. "You're not supposed to walk on that foot!"

As he helped me to a chair, I whined, "I'm not a baby! I can handle myself." I was starting to be able to act more comfortably around him. For me, that was really an accomplishment. Me and relationships never went well together.

"Are those hot dogs you're frying with the bacon!" I exclaimed.

"Yep!" Irvine grinned. "I know how you love hot dogs. Bet ya ain't never had 'em with bacon."

"Only once when my ma cooked it for me. The cafeteria never does anything fancy like that," I explained.

Irvine let out a chuckle. "Oh, this here ain't nothin' fancy." He put the food on a plate and made a place for it on the small table that was covered with fighting magazines. "So, what do ya think?"

I shoveled large portions of hot dog and bacon into my mouth, enjoying every second of it. I tried to tell him, "It's amazing," but there was no way I could form intelligible words with food stuffed into my mouth.

"I'm glad you like it. Don't, like, choke on it, alright?" Irvine smiled warmly as he lightly patted my shoulder. "Well, I need to be gettin' to class now. I'll be 'round when it's over." As he left, I gave him a cheerful thumbs up, still unable to say anything due to the large amounts of food I continuously piled in.

When I finished eating, I flopped down on my bed, trying to find something entertaining to do. I began reading one of my magazines, but I couldn't concentrate; I couldn't stop thinking about Irvine. I really wanted our relationship to be something more than friends, but I was too scared to do anything about it. I've never had an actual boyfriend. Yeah, I had a couple of nice girlfriends before I realized I was gay, but that obviously never did it for me.

I wasn't always so nervous when it came to relationships. Before, I acted as I normally would, just acting on impulse before I could think. That's my problem - I don't think, and that nearly ruined everything for me. I remember that day well. I was sixteen and my fourth year as a Cadet was almost finished...

It was a warm, spring day, and Cadets ran amok through Balamb Garden, excited that it was almost summer break. As usual, I sat in the cafeteria eating hot dogs and laughing it up with Nida and a few other Cadets. Just as we were finishing up, Nida exclaimed, "Ooh, Zell, here he comes!"

I turned my head eagerly to the cafeteria entrance where Seifer stood arrogantly with his two minions, Fujin and Raijin. He pointed to an empty table in an isolated corner of the cafeteria, and the two quickly walked ahead to claim their seats. When Seifer joined them, he spoke briefly with them before they went off to the lunch line. Seifer sat alone as he waited for his lunch to be brought to him, giving anyone who dared to look at him the death glare.

"Really, Zell, I have no idea what you could possibly see in him," Nida sighed.

"Seifer's just so... so... cool," I replied. "He's got this air of authority around him. Everybody listens to him."

"That's because they're scared shitless of what he can do to them," Nida pointed out. "Besides, you're both tops. It would never work!"

Completely disregarding what Nida was saying, I suddenly announced, "I'm going for it," and stood up from my seat and crossed the cafeteria to where Seifer was sitting. Is attention was elsewhere, so I was able to surprise him as I sidled up on his lap. He kept his composure enough to not jump, but the look on his face made it obvious that he was caught off guard.

"Hey, Seifer," I said as I rested my arms on his shoulders to help me keep my balance.

"What do you want, Dincht?" Seifer grumbled.

"You an' me, Balamb Café, 8 o'clock tonight," I offered. "How 'bout it?"

"In your dreams," he retorted as he pushed me off his lap. That was hardly  
enough to deter me. I sat in a chair next to his and scooted closer to him. "The fact you think I look gay insults me, Dincht."

"Whatever, Seifer," I chuckled. "I know you've got a thing for that Squall Leonheart. I can tell." As I mentioned this, his face darkened and he gave me the angriest glare I've ever seen. "Whatever you see in that square, I don't know." I leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Give up on that ice queen, and I'll show ya how to really party."

Again, he pushed me away. Seifer was gonna be a tough nut to crack, and that made it all the more fun for me. Fujin and Raijin returned with the food, which was my cue to leave. I rose from my seat and turned to Seifer, "Remember my offer. Call me." I winked and pranced back to my group, half of which looked horrified, and the other half turned red from trying to hold back giggles.

Honestly, I wasn't trying to offend Seifer at all. I was just being me, but I guess Seifer was having difficulty coming to terms with his sexuality. He's still not really open about it, but he was even worse back then. I can't help but think it was all my fault for not realizing how sensitive he was.

He always acted neutral towards my flirting, but I guess my playful banter threw Seifer over the edge one day. I saw him as he stalked through the hallway with a terribly angry look on his face. To this day, I have no idea what went on earlier, but I foolishly ignored his foul mood and acted as usual. Without warning, Seifer's emerald eyes flared with a rage I have never seen before in anyone. He grabbed me by my collar and roughly shoved me against the wall.

"Look here, chickenwuss," he spat, "I have no interest in guys, especially little wussies like you. People around here are starting to think I'm a pansy-ass homo thanks to you." He released me but quickly brought his fist around to land a blow on my cheek, causing me to fall. As he stood over me, Seifer sneered, "Let that be a warning to you, Dincht. Make a pass at me again, and you will wish you had never laid eyes on me." Holding back tears, I watched as he continued down the hall as if nothing had happened.

From then on, I'd always be the subject of his torment. Any chance he got, Seifer would pick on me and give me a hard time just to prove his manliness and that he had no interest whatsoever in me, or any guy for that matter, though it's obvious he's got a thing for Squall. From then on, I've been afraid to confess feelings to any man for fear that he may become disgusted with me like Seifer.

I know, it's a bit too angsty for something that has to do with me, but everyone's got something they're shy about, you know? I guess that's just my one thing. Though, people were starting to notice that there was something not right with me. I needed to start acting normal and learn to control my emotions. Maybe I could even work up the courage to confess to Irvine. Seifer's a jerk, and I was stupid to not expect something like that to happen, but Irvine is not Seifer. He's sweeter than Seifer could ever hope to be.

A knock on my door roused me from my reverie. I looked at the clock, and realized that I had actually fallen asleep and had been napping for four hours. The knock, I guess, was just warning that the door was going to open, rather than a request for permission to enter. Before I could reply, the door opened and Irvine invited himself into my room.

"I, like, brought you some lunch," Irvine said as he placed a white paper bag on the table. "The cafeteria's specialty!"

Before Irvine finished taking three hot dogs out of the bag, I managed to stumble across my small dorm as quickly as possible to get to that food. I hadn't even thought about what to do for lunch yet, and here was Irvine, thoughtfully bringing me my favorite food. He was being such a good friend to me, but what would he do when he discovered that I want to be more than friends?

"Zell! I told ya, you shouldn't, like, be walking on that foot!" Irvine scolded. "I don't want ya hurtin' it any more than it already is."

"Oh, it's fine, grandma!" I joked. "I'm sure I can safely hobble five feet. Seriously, though, thanks. I really don't know how else I could have gotten lunch. You really didn't have to get me three, though, two hot dogs would be just fine."

"I did get ya two," Irvine smiled. "The third one is mine."

"You mean you didn't have lunch yet! I thought you would have eaten in the cafeteria with Selphie or some other girls." That last part came out a bit spiteful, but thankfully Irvine didn't catch my tone of voice.

"I'm sure the absence of me won't, like, kill them," Irvine replied. "Besides, I thought you might enjoy some company. I can leave if you want."

"No!" I replied a bit too quickly. Irvine gave me that adorable smile of his, and I could feel my face heating up. "I mean, no, I'm not trying to be rude or kick you out or anything. You can stay if you want. I don't care. I mean, I don't not care that you decided to give me company, I just mean... um..." There I went, letting my mouth do the babbling thing again. "I mean, you know what I mean."

Irvine replied softly with a very amused look on his face, "I know exactly what you mean."

I had a feeling he meant more than what he said. Irvine has always had this way of making simple things sound if there was more of a meaning to it. Now that I know him better, I can usually tell if what Irvine is saying is a loaded statement or not. If I would have known him as well back then, I would have realized that he probably meant, "It's all right, I know you love me."

Through the rest of our lunch, I decided to let Irvine do most of the talking. We didn't talk about much, just kinda "chewed the fat," so-to-speak. I somehow managed to finish one and a half hot dogs before Irvine finished his one. I teased him a bit for eating slowly, and he teased me for inhaling my food.

"Did you, like, even enjoy it at all?" he asked. "I don't know how you could. You ate it so fast, I don't know how you could've even tasted it."

"Hey, it's a hot dog. I don't make love to it, I eat it," I retorted. Realizing what I had just said about what sort of food made me turn a deep red, especially with that look Irvine was giving me, like he was about to make some perverted comment. I know he wanted to, but I guess he just decided to let that one go.

"Yes, well, I need to start headin' back to my class," he said. "Try not to walk on that foot too much, alright?"

"Okay, okay!"

"I'll stop by after class," Irvine said as he waved and headed to the door.

"Wait, Irvine." He paused as I called out to him. "Thank you for spending your lunch with me. I know you probably would have rather been with your friends, and that was just really nice of you, and I just wanted to thank you."

"Nah, it was nothin'!" Irvine replied with a smile. "If it wasn't somethin' I wanted, then I wouldn't do it." He gave a wink and a quick, "Later!" before leaving me alone once again. I couldn't wait until his classes were over. It scared me a bit, but Irvine Kinneas was simply too good to be true.


	4. Out to Lunch

Zellie makes me giggle XP Too bad I don't own him or anything Final Fantasy T.T

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Shades of Red

Chapter Four - Out to Lunch

My week of being served by Irvine finally came to an end. It was great having him spend so much time with me, and I began to get a whole lot better at not being so nervous around him. I was thrilled that I was no longer confined to my room. That is, if Dr. Kadowaki said it was okay for me to walk around, which I was sure she would say so, since my foot felt fine. Though I was glad to be out and about again, I really was going to miss Irvine's visits. Of course, Irvine wasn't the only person that came to visit. Other friends came by my room to see how I was doing. Even Squall checked up on me a couple of times! One person I didn't see all week was Seifer, and that made me ecstatic. As much as he loved to bother me, he never actually came to my room.

Sunday morning, I woke up and eagerly hopped in the shower. I figured I'd call Irvine after my shower, since I didn't need him to help me walk around anymore. My foot was totally back to normal. When I got out, the bathroom was incredibly steamy, and the fogged up mirror distracted me momentarily. I used my finger to draw a big heart across the mirror; and after a momentary pause, I giggled as I wrote Irvine's name in the middle of the heart. I know, I know, it was childish, but it made me smile. I grabbed a towel and began drying myself off as I left the bathroom to get my clothes.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, I stopped dead in my tracks like a deer in the headlights. Irvine Kinneas made himself right at home in my room while I was in the shower! Fortunately, I was drying off my torso at the time, and the towel hung just enough to cover me up, but I was still naked! My brain took way too long to process the situation. At least it felt like it took too long. We just stood there in an awkward silence for a moment before I snapped out of it and quickly dashed back into the bathroom. I wrapped the towel as quickly as a I could and wiped off the mirror just in time to see Irvine appear in the doorway behind me. Letting out a high-pitched squeak, I jumped and spun around to face him.

"Irvine! Y-you scared me!" I stammered. "I didn't expect you here, and I just got out of the shower and..."

"Here's your clothes," he calmly said as he handed me my outfit. I was so nervous, I didn't notice he was holding anything! "I didn't know if you're picky 'bout your boxers or anything, but this was your only clean pair anyhoo."

He brought me my clothes and _underwear_. I managed to murmur a quiet "thanks" as I took my clothes from him, never taking my eyes off the floor. My face felt so hot, it must have been a magnificent shade of red. But Irvine... He seemed completely unfazed by all this! Well, of course he would. He just sees me as a friend. This was all no big deal to him.

"I'll just wait for ya on the bed," Irvine announced as he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

I didn't have an outfit laid out, so Irvine picked this out all on his own. He would have got my favorite outfit for me, I know, but it was dirty. Even the jacket needed to be washed. _Hyne, I need to do the laundry_, I realized. Irvine gave me one of the many pairs of long baggy shorts I own , but the top was one that I hadn't actually worn in a while. I actually forgot about the thing! It was a green top with very short sleeves and a hood that I don't think was meant to be functional, just fashionable. _Does this thing even fit?_ I wondered as I pulled it over my head. Yeah, it fit, but it was a bit tight. I examined my reflection for a while, and realized that the slight tightness of the top showed off my muscles real nicely. The shirt kept coming up, though, especially when I raised my arms to style my hair in the usual spikes. _Man, I'm gonna be pulling that down all day_, I thought as I frowned at my exposed belly button.

Not quite sure what I should say to Irvine, I stepped out of my bathroom to find Irvine piling a bunch of my clothes into a large basket. I no longer had to worry about what I should say. There was really only one thing I _could_ say.

"What are you doing?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Provin' to myself that there really is a floor in here," Irvine replied matter-of-factly. "Sittin' in your room all week sure caused this place to get trashed."

"Well, you wouldn't let me get up by myself, so how was I supposed to clean it?"

"You could have made a neater mess." He wasn't serious, was he?

"Okay, okay, we can clean later! Let's go to Dr. Kadowaki's office," I said as I eagerly bounced from foot to foot.

"Ah, that's right. You're technically still not supposed to be on that foot until you see Dr. Kadowaki again," he grinned mischievously as he turned his attention from my dirty clothes to me. Before I knew what was happening, he scooped me up into his arms. "I think I should carry you."

"Wh-what!" I sputtered. "Irvine, I'm just fine! Put me down!"

He laughed as he gently flopped me onto my bed. My face felt hot again, but I didn't know if I was blushing. I never really had many reasons to blush, so I didn't know if I did or not. I looked up at Irvine, trying to look annoyed, but when I looked up at his laughing face, I couldn't help but smile.

"C'mon now, let's go," he said. "I'll race ya there."

"Loser buys the winner a hot dog?" I suggested.

"Sure," he agreed.

"Deal?" I held out my hand for him to shake. Suddenly, I got a wicked idea. As he grabbed my hand, I yanked him down on the bed. Just as I was about to jump up and head for the door to get a head start, Irvine pounced. Hyne, he was quicker than I'd thought!

"Oh, no you don't, you little cheater!" he grinned as he pinned me down.

He really thought he had me! Of course I knew how to get him off me. I'm an expert martial artist, and he had me in a very basic grasp. With a swift maneuver I was able to flip Irvine on his back, making him the one who was pinned down.

"That was real weak, Irvine," I playfully teased as I hovered over him.

The thought suddenly occured to me - I had Irvine. On his back. On my bed. Helpless. I could have dominated him then and there if I had wanted to. Oh, Hyne, did I want him badly! Just a kiss? Oh, I wanted to steal at least a kiss! I could feel myself moving closer to Irvine as if my body had a mind of it's own. No, my body was listening to my mind, at least the half that kept screaming, "Kiss him, kiss him!" My reason quickly jumped in and I got a hold of myself before I was too close for it to seem freaky.

"Zell? Are you alright?" Irvine slowly asked.

Shaking my head, I forced myself to snap out of it. "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," I replied as I released Irvine. What had I almost done! This was no time to think about it. I wasn't gonna miss an opportunity to get a free hot dog!

"Loser buys lunch!" I suddenly exclaimed as I dashed out the door and into the hall.

"Hey, wait!" I heard Irvine call after me.

I didn't turn around to see what he wanted. There was no way I was gonna even give him a chance of beating me to Dr. Kadowaki's office! I ran down the hall leading to the Garden's central area. Once I got there, I jumped up on the inner ledge and ran along it partly because you move faster when you're on the inside edge of a curve, partly so I wouldn't knock people over, but mostly 'cause I thought it looked pretty darn cool. I didn't look behind me to see how close Irvine was, but I could hear rapid footsteps close behind and screams of people who nearly got run down, or probably were run down, by Irvine.

Of course, I beat Irvine to Dr. Kadowaki's office. There was no way I could lose, even without the headstart!

"You... cheated!" Irvine accused as he panted heavily.

Just as I was about to taunt him, Dr. Kadowaki came up behind me and startled me as she sharply shouted my name, causing me to jump.

"Oh, hi, Dr. Kadowaki!" I innocently greeted.

"I told you to stay off your injured foot until you see me, and here you are, _running_ through Garden!" she scolded. "And you, Irvine! You're supposed to be taking care of him, not encouraging his wild behavior!"

"Sorry, ma'am," Irvine apologized.

"Come here, Zell," she motioned to a chair in her office. "Let me see your foot. I hope to Hyne you didn't make it worse."

She sat there for a couple minutes, poking around at my foot. Irvine stood off to the side, patiently waiting for Dr. Kadowaki to finish. I wasn't really sure why he hung around. My foot was fine now, and he didn't need to help me anymore. I don't think I ever really needed help. I could have managed fine by myself, but it was real nice having Irvine around all the time. Finally, Dr. Kadowaki decided that my foot really was back to normal.

"Really, be more careful!" she instructed as she released me.

"Well, then, let's go!" Irvine said as we stepped out into the hall.

I gave him a confused look. "Go where?"

"Don't tell me you already forgot!" Irvine chuckled. "I owe ya lunch, remember? You beat me."

"But you said I cheated," I pointed out.

"Now, I don't remember either of us layin' down any rules for this little competition, so how can ya cheat when there aren't any rules besides 'loser buys lunch'?" he reasoned, and I wasn't about to argue the point. "So, where d'you wanna go?"

"I thought we were just going to eat in the cafeteria," I shrugged.

"If you want to eat here, fine. I know you love those hot dogs, but they do sell hot dogs in town," Irvine suggested with a grin. "I thought maybe you'd wanna get outta here for a change."

"Really!" I was getting way too excited about this. Irvine was going to take me out! Before I got too ecstatic, I quickly reminded myself that this was not a date. "Well, there is this one real nice café that I like," I said more calmly. "Let's go there!" I grabbed Irvine's hand and eagerly began to lead him to Garden's entrance.

My foot was better, Irvine was taking me to lunch, the sun was shining! Nothing could ruin that day. Nothing, except for the 6'2" angry blonde man headed in my direction.

"Eep!" I squealed. "It's Seifer. Maybe he didn't see us! Let's hurry!"

I was wrong.

"Chicken wuss!" he called out. I pretended not to hear him and kept walking. That never stopped Seifer, of course. "Hey, don't you ignore me!" he yelled as he took long strides down the hall to catch up with me and firmly placed his hand on my shoulder.

"What do you want, Seifer?" I asked irritably.

"I don't see you all week and this is how you greet me?" he pretended to be insulted.

"Seifer, if you've got nothin' intelligent to say, which is very likely, I'd appreciate it if you'd just go away," Irvine politely requested.

Seifer looked at him with his death glare. "What did you say to me, Kinneas?" They stared at each other for a few seconds before I decided to stop whatever fight they might start.

"So, where's Fujin and Raijin?" I asked.

"Not here."

"Yes, I can see that," I sarcastically replied.

"Zell, we don't got no time for this," Irvine grumbled as he began to pull me away.

"Well, have fun on your date," Seifer sneered.

"What!" Irvine and I both exclaimed before chaoticly babbling about how it was _not_ a date.

That devilish grin spread across Seifer's face. "Well then, if it's not a date, then you won't mind if I come along," he said as he stepped between us, putting an arm over each of our shoulders in order to push us along.

Both Irvine and I were at a loss for words. We had absolutely no idea as to what Seifer was up to, so we simply walked towards Balamb in silence, trying to think of ways to ditch him. However, it wasn't long before Seifer broke the silence.

"When I hadn't seen you around for a few days, I began to worry, chicken wuss," he said.

"I'll bet you did," I sarcastically replied.

He ignored me and continued. "But I heard that you were okay, just had to stay in your room and off your foot for a while. Could you tell me what happened? I heard you got your ass kicked by a Grat in the training center, but I know there's no way _you_ would let that happen," he said with a mocking tone. "Am I right?"

"Shut up!" I snapped.

"Hey, hey! No need to get touchy," Seifer mocked.

Honestly, it was _so hard_ to not jump Seifer and throw his body in the ocean. But that was illegal, and though I highly doubt anybody would miss Seifer, there would still be consequences to face.

"You know, Zell, you've been acting like a lovesick puppy lately," Seifer observed. "Everybody's noticed. The best way to get those feelings off your chest is to just tell the guy. Am I right, Zell?"

"What the hell, Seifer!" Why was he bringing this up? And in front of Irvine! "What makes you think it's a guy, anyways?" I angrily crossed my arms across my chest.

"Lucky guess," he smirked. "I see you don't deny the fact that you like guys."

That was it. I had to hit him. There was no resisting it. I lunged at Seifer, anxious to feel my fist impacting with his face, but Irvine moved quickly enough to hold me back before I could hit Seifer. I struggled against Irvine for a while. If I weren't in a blind rage, I probably could have easily broken Irvine's grasp, but I was as furious as if I'd had berserk cast on me. Finally, I gave up.

"Come on, Irvine! Let me hit him, just once!" I pleaded.

"Chill, Zell, he's just tryin' to get a rise outta you," Irvine explained, "and you're letting him win!"

I sighed in agreement, followed by a dirty glare at Seifer, who had a very smug grin on his face. The arguement ended there, for the moment, as the three of us continued towards Balamb in silence. Finally, we made it to town, and Seifer still had not left.

"Why are you still following us, Seifer?" I groaned.

"Because I'm hungry," he simply answered.

"Well, you're payin' for yourself," Irvine firmly stated.

"Irviiiine!" I whined.

"Come on, Zell, you can clearly see there's no gettin' rid of him," he sighed. "May as well just suck it up." He leaned towards me and whispered, "Maybe he'll go away if we ingore him."

I silently and grumpily led Irvine and Seifer to a small café near the hotel. There was a great view of the ocean, plus great food and service! We arrived a little after lunch time, which was the time when it was most crowded, so there were a few tables left open. We got the usual service - waiter asked what we want before we even opened the menu, waited forever to get our appetizer, and had our meal (I had hot dogs) arrive before we could finish the appetizer. Oh, of course, the waiter asked how we were doing when all three of us had food in our mouths, therefore unable to reply. Surprisingly, Seifer acted somewhat human throughout the meal.

Finally, our bill came. Seifer gave the money he owed to Irvine, who had offered to take the bill to the cashier. I didn't think much of it at the moment, but the second Irvine me alone with Seifer, I had that sinking feeling in the pit of my gut. Seifer scooted his chair closer to mine and leaned in.

"You know, chicken wuss, I'm actually getting kind of jealous," he grumbled. "I don't like admitting it, but it's true."

"Wha?" I wasn't sure how to react to that statement, so I ended up just giving him a blank stare.

"You've got your little cowgirl of a boyfriend now, so I hardly get to see you," he explained. "If you're never around, who am I gonna pick on?"

What the hell was this now! He was getting sentimental about bullying! No, there had to be something else behind it.

"Irvine's not my boyfriend!" I said a little too loudly. I checked my volume and continued, "Besides, I'm sure it won't be too difficult to target a new victim."

"No, you're wrong," Seifer sighed. "At least, I thought I was just getting frustrated 'cause there was nobody to release my anger on, but I thought that sounded kind of stupid."

"You and me both." I started getting real nervous and upset as to what could currently be going through Seifer's head. This was crueler than any bullying he could have done. I was getting furious, and no longer was able to hold my temper.

"You had your chance, Seifer!" I yelled as I angrily stood from my seat. "But you fucked that up real good, didn't you?" I stormed away from the table. Irvine was on his way back to his seat, but I grabbed his arm and dragged him behind me.

"Whoa, Zell, what is your problem!" he exclaimed.

"I can't take Seifer anymore!" I replyed hysterically. "I just can't take it! He's just so... He's unbelievable!"

Irvine and I hurried back to Garden in silence. I was too preoccupied with angry thoughts about Seifer, and I think Irvine was too confused and scared to get me angrier to say anything to me. I hoped to Hyne I was completely misunderstanding what Seifer was trying to say. The closer we got back to Garden, the more I was able to convince myself that I did misunderstand. Soon enough, my anger had completely gone away. I'm just not an angry person, especially when Irvine's around.

"Thanks a bunch for lunch!" I exclaimed with a giggle when we returned to Garden.

"Any time, Zell," Irvine replied with a sweet smile.

"What? You mean we're going to race on a regular basis?" I gave him a confused look.

"No, no!" he lauged. "I meant buy you lunch." When my face heated up and I didn't reply, he quickly added, "You know, 'cause we're, like, friends an' all. Friends do that for each other."

"Right, I knew that!" I nervously chuckled. Oh, Hyne, did Irvine just say he wants to date me! No, it's probably just another misunderstanding. I thought there must be something wrong with me, since it seemed to me that I was just hit on twice in a row. Well, maybe not hit on, but it seemed like a couple confessions or something.

"Well, thanks a bunch, man!" I energetically bounced and playfully punched his arm.

"Aw, it's nothin' really," he replied while rubbing where I hit him.

I had such a wonderful week, despite my twisted ankle. It was sad to think that this was probably the end to regularly spending quality time with Irvine. I didn't know it at the time, but I would have been greatly comforted by knowing how wrong I was.


End file.
